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  #1  
Old 1 Oct 2012
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Help with Clearing Customs @Paris CDG
Hello!!!

I've just shipped my 1150GSA over to Paris CDG from JFK in New York. I've found out today that I need to pay 900 Euro to clear customs and put a deposit of 1400 Euro down that I won't see back until my bike returns to the USA. My plan is to ride through Europe, India and Southeast Asia and I'd rather not have anyone hold onto 1400 Euro unless it is an official Carnet De Passage that is useful in other countries.

Does anyone on here have any experiences with this, good or bad? I feel like the 900 Euro is very high. The 1400 Euro is somewhat more understandable because I've imported my bike into France and they are basically responsible for what I do with the bike from this point forward.

I'm all ears folks. Let me know if they are being unreasonable or I am being unrealistic.

Thank you very much!
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Old 1 Oct 2012
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That 900 euros would buy you what..? Says who – and what does your freight company say to that (...what was included in their quote)?? Paris CDG is well known as a sort of black hole for all imaginable luggage, so I hope their freight handling isn´t on the same level.


There are no countries in Europe, that require a carnet for a motorcycle.


But you´re planning to ride to India, and do not have a carnet? I don´t think that´s gonna work. You probably won´t get into Pakistan without it either. Iran, maybe, but I would not count on that.
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Old 1 Oct 2012
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Originally Posted by pecha72 View Post
That 900 euros would buy you what..? Says who – and what does your freight company say to that (...what was included in their quote)?? Paris CDG is well known as a sort of black hole for all imaginable luggage, so I hope their freight handling isn´t on the same level.


There are no countries in Europe, that require a carnet for a motorcycle.


But you´re planning to ride to India, and do not have a carnet? I don´t think that´s gonna work. You probably won´t get into Pakistan without it either. Iran, maybe, but I would not count on that.
The freight company is separate from the agent that I have to use on the Parisian side. The freight company just ships out of the US and organizes an agent on the other side that is separate from their company. Not ideal, but thats just the way it all worked out.

I realize that I don't need a Carnet but this amounts to just about the same thing to a much lesser extent. I'm doing my trip in segments and have a year to acquire a legitimate Carnet. This is just the second leg.

What I'm looking for is someone that has done a similar thing recently or heard of someone else shipping a bike from the States to Paris/France and what their experience was...

Thank you for your input!!
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Old 10 Oct 2012
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i haven't been through this before so don't have any info for you. but,

Who are you getting this info from (about the cost etc)? how good is your french?

It might be worth contacting customs direct if the info is coming from an agent or a 3rd party.
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Old 16 Oct 2012
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I did eventually contact customs directly only to find out that those are the actual costs and no one except the French government was trying to screw me.

It was kind of annoying to deal with a shipper in the US and a separate agent in France. I basically had to get a quote from the shipper on his end and then another quote (they never responded to my queries) on the French side. I was told Frankfurt would have been easier(and cheaper) but I still opted for Paris so I could ride through Champagne. Just to be clear, I blame myself...
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